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stitchigander 's review for:
The Eater of Flies
by Richard Gadz
Thank you NetGalley and Deixis Press for providing me with a digital ARC of the Eater of Flies in exchange for an honest review. The following opinions expressed are my own.
The story begins, in the only acceptable place a story about vampyres could start, in Transylvania. Arthur Flemming is sent to collect debt and chooses among a veritable assortment of artifacts including a small antique box hastily sealed with lead. Upon bringing said box home he is warned not to open it. What ensues is the tale of Dracul and how it bounces between hosts in London, finishing with a grand finale of copious, ethereal death.
I want to point out that I've never read Dracula (I know, I know!). But maybe not being familiar with the gold standard of the vampire category leant itself to the fun I had reading this book. I have no idea what the difference between “vampyre” and “vampire” is, but again, rather than hindering, maybe it helped. I suffered from confusion once more by the list of characters thrown around at breakneck speed. I could not make sense of who was an important character and who was just a lowly extra. Gradually I realized they were all ensnared within a singular web unknowingly spun by a singular predator. Expectedly this made for a splash of gore every so often but I think readers not usually comfortable with the horror genre should be ok. It reads more like an old gothic horror novel (i.e. Frankenstein) than a modern slasher film.
The description of the various settings in this book is what really stood out. There was a line describing the general atmosphere of Victorian London that gives a small taste of what I’m talking about: “the industrial, gnat-soaked air was dyed an amber tint”. I have read a lot of books set in Victorian London, never has one line so succinctly captured walking through the streets in the evening must have felt like. Overall the Eater of Flies was an entertaining read to start off this halloween season and I genuinely look forward to reading more novels by Richard Gadz.
The story begins, in the only acceptable place a story about vampyres could start, in Transylvania. Arthur Flemming is sent to collect debt and chooses among a veritable assortment of artifacts including a small antique box hastily sealed with lead. Upon bringing said box home he is warned not to open it. What ensues is the tale of Dracul and how it bounces between hosts in London, finishing with a grand finale of copious, ethereal death.
I want to point out that I've never read Dracula (I know, I know!). But maybe not being familiar with the gold standard of the vampire category leant itself to the fun I had reading this book. I have no idea what the difference between “vampyre” and “vampire” is, but again, rather than hindering, maybe it helped. I suffered from confusion once more by the list of characters thrown around at breakneck speed. I could not make sense of who was an important character and who was just a lowly extra. Gradually I realized they were all ensnared within a singular web unknowingly spun by a singular predator. Expectedly this made for a splash of gore every so often but I think readers not usually comfortable with the horror genre should be ok. It reads more like an old gothic horror novel (i.e. Frankenstein) than a modern slasher film.
The description of the various settings in this book is what really stood out. There was a line describing the general atmosphere of Victorian London that gives a small taste of what I’m talking about: “the industrial, gnat-soaked air was dyed an amber tint”. I have read a lot of books set in Victorian London, never has one line so succinctly captured walking through the streets in the evening must have felt like. Overall the Eater of Flies was an entertaining read to start off this halloween season and I genuinely look forward to reading more novels by Richard Gadz.